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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. perch — the fish
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mug — a face
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lie — to recline
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mug — to rob
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. march — the month
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com